Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones

Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones
by Shure

Our Price: $299.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: CE
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Customers in the UK, Buy this product at amazon.co.uk for British Pounds

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Manufacturer: Shure
Model: E3c
Product features:

Smallest of Shure E-series Weighing only 0.9 ounce - less than 1 ounce
Instead of bulky headphones, E3 wearers get form-fitting earpieces that stay securely inside the ear without uncomfortable headbands
Sound isolation prevents outside noise from interfering with the music, and creates a quiet space for exceptional audio clarity
The studio grade, low mass, high energy micro-speakers employ balanced armature technology for more efficient output and extended high frequencies
Compatible for use with 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) audio output ports

Accessories:

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones

Customer Review: Better than OEM!
Summary: 5 Stars

I bought these earbuds as a replacement for the weak-sounding OEM Apple earbuds that came with the 60gb video iPod I purchased in the summer of 2006. The OEM earbud wire actually broke physically (I like to wrap the headphone wire vertically around the iPod, with the plug in the jack, when I'm not using it) and I decided to upgrade to an aftermarket pair both for physical durability and enhanced sonic quality. Let's be clear from the start: If you're listening to music on an iPod, we're NOT talking Hi-Fi to begin with, which I'm sure all you audiophiles out there already know but I just want to clarify this from the outset. That said, for the quality of reproduction you should expect from an iPod, you don't want your earphones to detract even further!

I recorded just about all (more than 95%) of my music into iTunes from my CD collection rather than buying it online from the iTunes store. Mostly I listen to rock, but also classical, jazz, opera and country, and I keep my iPod equalizer setting on "Rock" almost all the time. I reviewed all of the earbuds in this review on that setting. Usually I listen sitting on a train on my 2-hour commute to and from work weekdays. Also, I purchased all of these at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York City, which is a pretty cool place to go in and join the "buzz" [and which I have no affiliation with].

Apple OEM earbuds: I purchased these with the iPod in July 2006, replacement price $29 from Apple's website; Sound quality: 4 out of 10 [with 0 being "does not reproduce sound" and 10 being the "best" I think one could expect from earbuds with an iPod] -- poor bass response in real-life. In-ear fit: 4 out of 10 -- hard plastic discs stay in the outer ear canal generally but are not "snug", this lack of direct ear canal pressure detracts from lower-frequency reproduction ability. Durability: 3 out of 10 -- OK, maybe I shouldn't wrap the wire around the iPod, but I do... the stress that induced on the main wire at the jack caused the wire to break off after 5 months.

Senheisser Style OMX 90 earbuds: I purchased these in December 2006 for $89.95; sound quality: 5 out of 10 -- part of the reason I bought these is they were the only pair I could find with performance specifications listed on or in the package, I think they were claiming 19Hz-22kHz and 115dB, which looks pretty darn good on paper. Unfortunately, these, like the Apple OEM buds, are not snug in the ear canal so suffer from poor low-frequency response in real-life. In-ear fit: 2 out of 10 -- Jeez these looked cool, with their over-ear "eyeglasses" style clips I thought they'd be great, like the B&O A8s which I'd never tried but look so cool and cost twice as much and after all, they ARE Sennheisers, which I've had real cans by for my home stereo for decades and sound great... but when I actually used them they basically hung on my ears and flopped around in my ear canals more than the Apple OEM buds ever did. Durability: I can't really say because after a week I replaced them with the Bose Triports. These were the only buds with a volume control built in to the wire; I guess I liked this but in retrospect it just seems like a marketing gimmick -- I can just as easily adjust the volume on the iPod, so why bother with additional hardware (and weight) on my wires?

Bose Triport in-ear Headphones: I purchased these in December 2006 for $99.95; sound quality: 7 out of 10 -- I bought these to replace the Sennheisers and they were a HUGE improvement mainly (as far as I can tell) because of the anatomically-molded silicone ear canal inserts. These provide a snug in-ear fit which leads to vastly improved frequency response across the spectrum but most noticably in the bass frequencies. Unfortunately the bass response is actually muddy! I could improve this somewhat by switching from "Rock" to "Bass Reducer" on my iPod equalizer settings, but even so these always sounded muddy to me in the low frequencies... that said, MUCH better overall than the Apples and the Sennheisers. In-ear fit: 9 out of 10 -- these are fantastic, with 3 pairs of silicone inserts, large medium and small, should fit 99% of all listeners better than just about anything else available. Durability: 5 out of 10 -- Unfortunately, the wonderful silicone inserts do not stay attached to the plastic earbuds so I'd recommend if you like these that you purchase a case of the size you like; if you're like me, you'll lose a pair a month, on average.

Sure E3C-N (black) Headphones: I purchased these in April 2007 for $179.95, to replace the Bose Triports; this is a bit unfair since on a dollar basis I should be reviewing the Sure E2Cs, which cost $99.95 (similar to my other aftermarket buds), but in the end I decided perhaps you get what you pay for with earbuds and decided to double my budget for this set. Sound quality: 9 out of 10 -- much more even frequency distribution than the others, and smooth bass response unlike the Bose Triports. Also these are more efficient than any of the others, with iPod volume settings around 50% giving similar dBs in my ear as when I used the Triports on 85% and the Sennheisers on 100%. Crisp, clear sound all the way up to 100% on my iPod volume settings. In-ear fit: 7 out of 10 -- These buds come with a variety of size and composition inserts -- I use the small silicone symmetric hemispherical buds, which fit best for me, though they are less perfect than the ergonomic silicone inserts that come with the Triports. If you don't select the right size for your ear canal, the Sure inserts can begin to work loose (not as bad as the OEM Apples or the shaky Sennheisers) if you start to, say, walk; or chew. This is fairly irritating since when they're snug in-ear they sound really great (and you should insert them pretty far into your ear canal, pulling back on the ear as you insert them). Durability: I've only had them about a month, so hard to say, but the rubber inserts don't fall off the plastic part of the buds easily the way the Triports suffer; also the wires are about twice the diameter of the others in this review (which might also account for some of the better sonic efficiency), so I expect them to last longer physically than any of the others.

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Description of Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphones

Shure E3c Sound Isolating Earphone - The replacement of the acclaimed E1, the E3 uses low mass, high energy micro-speakers to deliver incredibly precise sound with secure, comfortable, acoustic isolation for an outstanding listening experience where ever you are. Whether listening to your home stereo, computer, or portable CD or MP3 player, this earphone offers studio-quality performance of the highest order. Includes carrying case Soft, flexible sleeves in the Fit Kit gently contour the inside of the ear for a comfortable, secure fit 60-Inch cable with gold-plated connector 2 Year Shure warranty Color - White

If you're looking to upgrade your portable music listening experience, the Shure E3c sound isolating earphones deserve a serious look. The E3c's offer a level of sensitivity and range that places them in the audiophile tier of earphones and fortunately, Shure has priced them to make this kind of quality within reach.

In many ways, judging sound quality is all about making comparisons, and when the E3c's are matched against their big brother, the Shure E5c earphones, the E3c's do reveal a noticeable loss of dynamic range and clarity. Of course, the E5c's are worth every penny for those who want to spend more on earphones than they spent on their iPod. The E3c's, on the other hand, come out a clear winner when you weigh their quality and cost.

Design
The E3c earbuds are small and easy to insert in the ear-- easier, in fact, than the E5c earbuds, which are larger and less friendly to folks with small ears. The E3c's thin and pliant cords are light and easy to manage. They're also designed to be looped over the back of the ear, but some testers found it uncomfortable and awkward to keep them there. These testers also said they preferred inserting the earphones upside down, letting the cords dangle downwards from the ear to avoid hassles. By comparison, the E5c earphones feature a bendable stiffening material in the section of cable that runs behind the ears, allowing the listener to loop the cables over and behind the ear more securely. It would be nice to see this simple solution added to the E3c earphones.

Shure did choose to give the E3c's the same gold-plated, 3.5mm input connector as the E5c's. The connector has a low-profile elbow bend to minimize accidental unplugging and snags-- great for laptop and airline users. And just like the E5c's, the E3c's come with a number of earplug "sleeves" packaged in what Shure calls a "fit kit". Our testers had little trouble finding a sleeve that felt comfortable. We especially liked the expanding foam sleeves that, like those foam dinosaurs that grow in water, expand to fit the contours of the ear canal.

Sound Quality
As we listened to a broad range of musical genres on the E3c earphones it was hard, once again, not to make comparisons with the E5c's. If you aren't even entertaining the notion of purchasing the E5c's, then make sure you never have occasion to listen to them. Rest easy in the knowledge that the E3c's deliver clear, crisp highs and rich, thundering lows. Delight in the fact that they excel at delivering the celebrated earphone experience; the external world is largely silenced and the music resonates inside your head. Meanwhile, if you are toying with the idea of stepping up to the E5c's, go ahead and give both models a listen. Although the difference between the two is not stark, we immediately noticed that we had to drive the E3c's at higher volume to get the same kind of resonance and fullness the E5c's deliver at a relatively lower volume.

Comparing the E3c's to the E5c's is a bit unfair, but in many ways, the comparisons revealed just how good both sets of earphones really are. The E5c's represent an extremely high benchmark, and fortunately for those who don't want to spend a bundle on top-quality earphones, the E3c's aren't too far off the pace. We recommend them as a massive upgrade to the standard headphones that ship with most portable music devices.--Joshua Gunn

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